2009 Goodguys PPG Nationals - Hello Columbus

Columbus is conveniently situated halfway between the Mississippi River and the Atlantic Ocean, and less than 300 miles from more than a dozen states. It is the capital of Ohio and for three days every July, the capital of the hot rod universe. The phenomenon occurs when the Goodguys PPG Nationals rolls into the Ohio Expo Center.

1/50We're starting this story at the end, as Doug Wickline's blown 351-powered '55 Ford F-100 cruises its way through the Ohio Expo Center in Columbus as part of the Sunday parade of award winners.

This is one of the best Goodguys shows of the season, and draws a huge number of participants-something like 6,000 rods, customs, classics, muscle cars, and trucks to be not exact. The PPG Nats is a magnet for elite-level show vehicles from the best builders. It also draws a huge number of grassroots, low- to mid-buck, owner-built rides. And with approximately 100 awards handed out on Sunday afternoon, the little guy has as good a chance of winning a prize as the big boys do. And for all those participants who couldn't care less about winning something and just want to show off their trucks and appreciate other peoples' rides-it's a guaranteed great time.

CCT was there for all our typical reasons-to fill our bellies with fairground food, wander through the massive assemblage of aftermarket vendors, sit through a tech seminar or two, dig for treasure at the swap meet, watch the competition at the autocross sponsored by Air Ride Technologies (now called RideTech), and photograph as many custom and classic trucks as we could, so you can see them too.